BOTTOM LINE
Unbearably Loud
OUR RATING
1.75/5
CENSOR
‘U/A’ Certified, 2h 22m
What Is the Film About?
Set before and after India’s independence, Rudrangi is about a namesake place ruled over by Bheemrao Deshmukh (Jagapathi Babu). He is a powerful guy with a severe God complex and treats the local people as slaves.
Mallesh (Ashish Gandhi) works under him and is extremely loyal. What makes Mallesh revolt against his ‘Dora’? Who is Rudrangi (Ganavi Laxman), and how is she connected to Mallesh and Bheemrao? The movie’s central drama revolves around these three and the eventual end of Bheemrao.
Performances
Ashish Gandhi looks physically apt for the part. He goes through his work sincerely and does well towards the penultimate sequences. It isn’t a memorable part mainly due to the predictable beats, but the effort is visible when given an opportunity.
Jagapathi Babu plays a loud and obnoxious character in the most over-the-top fashion possible. Right from the start, he is several meters high in his act when compared to the rest. It would have been fun if the rest were on the same lines, but given the seriousness all around, his action starts to wear down soon. His characterisation includes a scowl which turns unintentionally hilarious and irritating after a point.
Vimala Raman, Mamta Mohandas and Ganavi Laxman are the female leads. Each has a specific part in the narrative and does their work adequately. Vimala Raman is calm and mature, whereas Mamta Mohandas is loud and irritating. Ganavi Laxman is on the former side with some neat dramatic moments towards the end.
Analysis
Ajay Samrat writes and directs Rudrangi. Its story is taken from the history of Telangana when powerful landlords controlled the placed and treated people as slaves.
Two things are clear from the start itself. One is everyone going about their work sincerely, which is a good aspect. The second one, unfortunately, is the content that is loud, one-dimensional and needs more meat.
The focus is all on the lust and violence incited by the landlords on the poor. It is all we get on different levels from the start to the end. Rudrangi might as well be an episode on The Lust Stories, but here it is a full-blown film.
There was potential, no doubt. For example, the clash between the landlords could have been shown in detail. But all we get here is one shouting at the other and then going into attack mode. It is all black and white. The villains get darker, whereas the protagonist becomes saints.
The first half is a big bore, even on this black-and-white account and setting. The second half is where the drama lies within the setup. It goes without saying the whole thing is predictable sans a few choices a character makes.
The final half an hour is what the whole thing is built up to. There is substantial emotional drama happening, but the driving factor is where the disconnection lies. It never feels right, and the whole over-the-top execution makes everything look hollow and artificial.
When the key moments arrive, the feel is missing because one is never invested in the plight to begin with. The big flight again is stretched and feels excessively done. Ultimately, it feels like an action block from a period film being extended into a full-fledged outing.
Overall, Rudrangi suffers due to a terribly weak story that, at best, should have been an action block. The unintentional fun, campiness, and loudness make it impossible to sit through—an instantly skippable and forgettable affair.
Performances by Others Actors
Kalakeya Prabhas appears briefly and does nothing but shout with some expletives thrown in between meant to enrage the people. He is okay doing his routine. RS Nanda plays the typical sidekick for the villain part. He is alright. The rest of the actors appear in bits and pieces roles.
Music and Other Departments?
Nofel Raja AIS provides the music and the background score for the film. Barring a song in the second half, the rest are forgettable even though an attempt to stick to the roots sound-wise has been made. The background score is loud, adding to the unintentional fun whenever certain characters arrive.
Santosh Sanamoni’s cinematography is decent, considering everything else technically. He has the scope to make a bigger impact but fails to do that, as some parts also look very ordinary. The editing should have been sharper. B Nageswar Reddy’s work makes Rudrangi feel more lengthy and repetitive. The writing is below par.
Highlights?
Setting
Climax Portions Drama
Sincerely Enacted
Drawbacks?
One Dimensional Story
Loudness
Writing
Artificial Emotions
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
No
Rudrangi Movie Review by M9News
